I'm not sure what city I've referred to there, but if you get the loose (and obscure) movie reference there, then I guess it would be LA. I'm sheepishly showing my face here again after neglecting to post a pregame ISU breakdown. However, if the results are any indication I may never do one again. We absolutely destroyed ISU. I didn't get to see the game, solidifying speculative reports that I am indeed a shitty fan. I'm not sure how much it meant to dismantle ISU, but it was certainly nice to run away with one that we should have, rather than let them hang around all afternoon. Evidently the debut of Roy Finch was pretty promising, and the big 3 on offense came to play in what seems as though it was their most collectively complete performance this season. Now that I've served you a tall glass of ice cold crimson kool-aid, let me drop a brown in it.
Mizzou will be an extremely tough crowd. Being a native of the Show-Me state I'm familiar with the fan-base...generally a pretty fair weather crowd. That said, when the weather is good they come out strong and will be extremely loud and extremely hostile. As I predicted last week, this looks to be our toughest test yet. With Mizzou at #11 in the BCS currently and with ESPN bringing GameDay to Columbia for the first time this game is poised to derail our run at a conference and (dare I say) national title. Hopefully our defense has truly tightened things up as it appears they did last Saturday. If not, I don't think we win this game. We will absolutely struggle to score points, Lonnie will turn the ball over, and running the ball will be extremely difficult. Their collective hair will be on fire, especially if we are punting early. I've got a really bad feeling about this one. I'm not saying I think we can't win, or that we'll lose, but it's going to be a very different game than last week. Stakes are extremely high, we're wearing that #1 bullseye and Mizzou is much better defensively than the teams we destroyed in 2007 and 2008. More to come this week, but I hope we spent part of our off-week preparing for these guys. We'll need everything we can get.
Doomsday McGoo: The Return.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
OU - Iowa State
I couldn't give two craps about this game. Iowa State blows. Ames is probably the least attractive destination in the Big 12. I would never travel to see a game there.
I suppose there are a couple intriguing story lines. Much ballyhooed RB Roy Finch will be playing today. Someone on the team (too lazy to try to find it) said that his moves are Reggie Bush-esque. That sound you heard was the button flying off the front of my pants. A new weapon for the offense? Yes please.
The other thing we need to see is some attitude. The boys are fresh off a bye and huge win. They are in control of their own destiny. There is no excuse for not being "up" for this game. Even if it is Iowa State.
One last note on the Cyclones. When I went to the Big 12 basketball tournament a couple of years ago I had the misfortune of seeing the ISU cheer squad up close. Holy smokes was that a roster of fug. I couldn't believe a Division 1 program from a premier conference could have so little "talent".
On with the picks.
Offense
I'm riding the DeMarco train. I am a believer. He's got to be feeling confident after the texas game and now with the young pup Finch pushing him, I see him going off again today. I certainly am enamored with the idea anyways. I'm kind of feeling a kick return also.
Defense
I don't have a strong feeling on anyone here. I'll go with Travis "Old Steady" Lewis. He'll get his usual tackle numbers but perhaps he gets an INT or a fumble recovery.
Conclusion
The Sooners need to play with some fire and show they understand where they are on the college football landscape (contending for the GD title). They need to throttle these losers. And I believe they will. It's TCB Saturday for the Sooners.
OU 52, ISU 17
I suppose there are a couple intriguing story lines. Much ballyhooed RB Roy Finch will be playing today. Someone on the team (too lazy to try to find it) said that his moves are Reggie Bush-esque. That sound you heard was the button flying off the front of my pants. A new weapon for the offense? Yes please.
The other thing we need to see is some attitude. The boys are fresh off a bye and huge win. They are in control of their own destiny. There is no excuse for not being "up" for this game. Even if it is Iowa State.
One last note on the Cyclones. When I went to the Big 12 basketball tournament a couple of years ago I had the misfortune of seeing the ISU cheer squad up close. Holy smokes was that a roster of fug. I couldn't believe a Division 1 program from a premier conference could have so little "talent".
On with the picks.
Offense
I'm riding the DeMarco train. I am a believer. He's got to be feeling confident after the texas game and now with the young pup Finch pushing him, I see him going off again today. I certainly am enamored with the idea anyways. I'm kind of feeling a kick return also.
Defense
I don't have a strong feeling on anyone here. I'll go with Travis "Old Steady" Lewis. He'll get his usual tackle numbers but perhaps he gets an INT or a fumble recovery.
Conclusion
The Sooners need to play with some fire and show they understand where they are on the college football landscape (contending for the GD title). They need to throttle these losers. And I believe they will. It's TCB Saturday for the Sooners.
OU 52, ISU 17
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Schedule Glance
Before I get too worked up for this ISU game on Saturday, I thought I'd do a brief (see: half-assed) look ahead at what we have left on the schedule and try to identify which games I think will be our toughest.
We start the second half of the schedule against ISU at home. I think we may come out a tad rusty but I think we have enough to beat these guys even with a little rust. They've shown they can score some points which doesn't necessarily bode well in light of our wont to give up points, but I'm really hoping that our defense starts to solidify this week and we can win one where the fan base's collective assholes might be relaxed enough to let out a popcorn fart in the fourth quarter. I think that Colorado and Tech are very winnable seeing as they are at home (and they aren't that good). Further, I think we'll win down in A&M this year as well. Traditionally a tough place to get a win, Kyle Field has not been the tough out it used to be in recent years.
The stumbling blocks I see are Mizzou first and foremost. For whatever reason these guys act like beating us is the end goal for every football team at any level. Plus, we've had struggles winning at their place in the past (read: Chris Chester fake field goal TD catch) when the disparity in talent was greater than it is now. Plus, they've been left with a pretty shitty taste in their mouth as we've dismantled them at our place and in the Big 12 game when Chase "fatty" Daniels led the best Mizzou team in decades against us. We haven't even beaten ISU yet and this one scares me. Doomsday McGoo is already fully geared for this one.
I think that the Baylor and OSU games are also scary. Baylor is quite a bit better than they usually are and possess precisely the type of QB we generally can't stop. Not looking forward to that one at all from a game standpoint. However, coming in from the good mojo network, I recently learned I'll be sitting down with my co-author (presumably over many beers) to watch this one together. That alone has me anticipating this game more than any other at this point. Finally, OSU is always tough, they always are harder to play us than we are them, it's at their place, they have some talent etc. etc. I never feel great about that game, but if they remain unbeaten until we play them (unlikely) it will be on in Stoolwater and we will have to weather a serious storm.
All in all, we've got a pretty tough road ahead despite everyone in the media assuming we're cake walking to the Big 12 game. It's not an easy road by any stretch and 4 of the 7 are on the road where we haven't been great lately. I hope the young guys are figuring it out and we get the weak points buffed out in anticipation of the stretch run. People are talking about us having played the toughest schedule in country of the remaining unbeaten teams up to now, I think it's a fair argument. In that vein, I can only imagine the clamoring that is already starting about how we're getting screwed and should be ranked higher etc. Bottom line, is we've got a long way to go and so does everyone else. We are (at least) three very tough games and four games that aren't easy away from even getting a shot at the conference title. Let's whip ISU this weekend and then get ready for a tough trip to Columbia.
More about ISU before the game this weekend.
We start the second half of the schedule against ISU at home. I think we may come out a tad rusty but I think we have enough to beat these guys even with a little rust. They've shown they can score some points which doesn't necessarily bode well in light of our wont to give up points, but I'm really hoping that our defense starts to solidify this week and we can win one where the fan base's collective assholes might be relaxed enough to let out a popcorn fart in the fourth quarter. I think that Colorado and Tech are very winnable seeing as they are at home (and they aren't that good). Further, I think we'll win down in A&M this year as well. Traditionally a tough place to get a win, Kyle Field has not been the tough out it used to be in recent years.
The stumbling blocks I see are Mizzou first and foremost. For whatever reason these guys act like beating us is the end goal for every football team at any level. Plus, we've had struggles winning at their place in the past (read: Chris Chester fake field goal TD catch) when the disparity in talent was greater than it is now. Plus, they've been left with a pretty shitty taste in their mouth as we've dismantled them at our place and in the Big 12 game when Chase "fatty" Daniels led the best Mizzou team in decades against us. We haven't even beaten ISU yet and this one scares me. Doomsday McGoo is already fully geared for this one.
I think that the Baylor and OSU games are also scary. Baylor is quite a bit better than they usually are and possess precisely the type of QB we generally can't stop. Not looking forward to that one at all from a game standpoint. However, coming in from the good mojo network, I recently learned I'll be sitting down with my co-author (presumably over many beers) to watch this one together. That alone has me anticipating this game more than any other at this point. Finally, OSU is always tough, they always are harder to play us than we are them, it's at their place, they have some talent etc. etc. I never feel great about that game, but if they remain unbeaten until we play them (unlikely) it will be on in Stoolwater and we will have to weather a serious storm.
All in all, we've got a pretty tough road ahead despite everyone in the media assuming we're cake walking to the Big 12 game. It's not an easy road by any stretch and 4 of the 7 are on the road where we haven't been great lately. I hope the young guys are figuring it out and we get the weak points buffed out in anticipation of the stretch run. People are talking about us having played the toughest schedule in country of the remaining unbeaten teams up to now, I think it's a fair argument. In that vein, I can only imagine the clamoring that is already starting about how we're getting screwed and should be ranked higher etc. Bottom line, is we've got a long way to go and so does everyone else. We are (at least) three very tough games and four games that aren't easy away from even getting a shot at the conference title. Let's whip ISU this weekend and then get ready for a tough trip to Columbia.
More about ISU before the game this weekend.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
The OU-texas Post-Coital Embrace
Now let's not start sucking each others popsicle's just yet. The toppling of texas was a fine win. Sure, the Sooners are 5-0 and it's true they might have their most difficult games already behind them. It's also true that championship teams (there's that word) must also avoid key injuries and have its fair share of luck. We must remember the season is far from over, there's lots that can happen.
However, come October 16th, the next time the Sooners take the field, the college football world will have been shaken up. I don't mean to pretend to be Nostradamus, that's just the way things work. The Sooners play host to a perpetually hapless Iowa State team at night at Owen Field and, afterward, the Sooners will be undefeated and still in control of their own destiny. The Sooners will be a bona fide contender (!).
How about that Sooner Magic? Thank goodness it has reared its glorious head because the Sooners seem to be hell bent on giving games away. The fake kick? I wouldn't make that call on the PlayStation. What about the inability to execute a time-wasting, game clinching drive? Hell, how about a time-wasting first down or two? I won't give Lonnie too much grief for the fumble because he was trying to make a play but damn, every Sooner player, coach and fan nearly took a simultaneous shit it when that ball came loose. The 2010 Sooners are nothing if not dramatic.
On to the Game Balls/Helmet Stickers/Cheers/Cups-on-the-Butt/Post-Coital Embrace etc.
To DeMarco Murray for once again carrying the load and for getting himself penciled in for my Offensive POG pick for the Big 12 Championship (may the Sooners be so fortunate to go) and whatever bowl game we play. I did not realize how close DeMarco was to becoming OU's all-time touchdown's leader. Pretty amazing and rarified air. I have a feeling DeMarco will go down as one of the most underrated Sooners of all time. But that's another post.
To DeJuan Miller. Each week he has two or three grabs that always seem to move the chains, change the momentum or come at key times. Saturday was his best yet. He's realizing his potential. I'm proud of him and I'm not sure why. I know nothing about him beyond his clutch catches and uniform number. Cameron Kenney we hardly knew ye.
To Jeremy Beal. Five tackles, two sacks and forced fumble. Also, he made Navin and I infinitely (okay, somewhat) less douchey by validating our Defensive POG picks and my defensive breakdown "piece".
To James Winchester for recovering the Aaron Williams muff (snicker) and providing the obligatory Sooner player "upside-down hookem" (see also Lehman, Teddy and Jones, Kejuan et al).
To Aaron Williams for muffing the punt.
To Mack Brown for always bringing unintentional comedy to an otherwise tense, violent affair. I can't wait for the time texas is flagged for a blatant hold and Mack bursts a vessel in his forehead. It will be glorious.
Enjoy the off week.
However, come October 16th, the next time the Sooners take the field, the college football world will have been shaken up. I don't mean to pretend to be Nostradamus, that's just the way things work. The Sooners play host to a perpetually hapless Iowa State team at night at Owen Field and, afterward, the Sooners will be undefeated and still in control of their own destiny. The Sooners will be a bona fide contender (!).
How about that Sooner Magic? Thank goodness it has reared its glorious head because the Sooners seem to be hell bent on giving games away. The fake kick? I wouldn't make that call on the PlayStation. What about the inability to execute a time-wasting, game clinching drive? Hell, how about a time-wasting first down or two? I won't give Lonnie too much grief for the fumble because he was trying to make a play but damn, every Sooner player, coach and fan nearly took a simultaneous shit it when that ball came loose. The 2010 Sooners are nothing if not dramatic.
On to the Game Balls/Helmet Stickers/Cheers/Cups-on-the-Butt/Post-Coital Embrace etc.
To DeMarco Murray for once again carrying the load and for getting himself penciled in for my Offensive POG pick for the Big 12 Championship (may the Sooners be so fortunate to go) and whatever bowl game we play. I did not realize how close DeMarco was to becoming OU's all-time touchdown's leader. Pretty amazing and rarified air. I have a feeling DeMarco will go down as one of the most underrated Sooners of all time. But that's another post.
To DeJuan Miller. Each week he has two or three grabs that always seem to move the chains, change the momentum or come at key times. Saturday was his best yet. He's realizing his potential. I'm proud of him and I'm not sure why. I know nothing about him beyond his clutch catches and uniform number. Cameron Kenney we hardly knew ye.
To Jeremy Beal. Five tackles, two sacks and forced fumble. Also, he made Navin and I infinitely (okay, somewhat) less douchey by validating our Defensive POG picks and my defensive breakdown "piece".
To James Winchester for recovering the Aaron Williams muff (snicker) and providing the obligatory Sooner player "upside-down hookem" (see also Lehman, Teddy and Jones, Kejuan et al).
To Aaron Williams for muffing the punt.
To Mack Brown for always bringing unintentional comedy to an otherwise tense, violent affair. I can't wait for the time texas is flagged for a blatant hold and Mack bursts a vessel in his forehead. It will be glorious.
Enjoy the off week.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
OU - Texas
It's hard to believe we're already here. I've been to this game in person exactly one time. It was the same 1996 contest that Navin waxed so poetically about in his post. For some reason when I enrolled at OU the athletic office sold me a seat to the game right there on the spot. I found myself on the 50 yard line about two rows up and behind the texas bench. When James Allen won the game in overtime my euphoria was matched only by the girth of my prodigious boner (I'm a steed). As I was leaving the Cotton Bowl I met up with some Sig Ep bretheren and we proceeded to heckle relentlessly in the faces of every texas fan we came across. To the victors go the spoils.
Nowadays I rarely go down to Dallas as I've come to realize I can get drunk in front of my or a friends television and sleep in my own bed afterwards all whilst spending about $500 less. Don't hate, we're in a recession. So that's what I'll be doing today. Hanging out with about 30 other die hard Sooner fans at TFrye's house (allegedly the new King of New York).
If you want proof that any asshole can have both a blog, an opinion and not a clue, I offer you this. I also know very little about texas. You know why? I hate them. I have better shit to do with my time than cruise the Interwebs for stats, facts and figures related to those assholes. Trust me, there's plenty of texas people out there who will all too eagerly tell you how awesome they are. In short I have nothing solid to base my feelings of this contest. I stand wobbily on Crimson Colored Glasses.
Here's the deal. The Sooner offense has just enough weapons that Lonnie won't have to take too many chances. In theory this should mean less opportunities for interceptions. Also, knocking on wood here, the Sooners haven't fumbled the ball yet. Everybody knock on wood again please. So, even against a stout defense, I like our chances. Look for lots of short to intermediate throws from Lonnie. Look for lots of throws to the Trey Millards and Trent Ratteree's of the offense and especially look for creative ways to get the ball to Ryan Broyles so he can get the ball in open space. He'll expose the texas D for the terrible tacklers they are (based on no basis of fact, but I'm sure of it because they are texas and they fellate one another at practice).
What are the Sooners going to do on defense? I'm glad I asked. I think they do everything possible to make Garrett Gilbert beat them. I can't remember a texas Quarterback who struck less fear in the hearts of Sooner Nation. This is telling when you consider the storied history of effeminate texas quarterbacks. All day long it's base Nickel packages, stuffing the run and making Gilbert make plays. I think the Sooners get two, maybe three INT's.
Also, I'm truly going to be disappointed with anything less than Florida State type intensity out of the D. Really, it should easily exceed it. In a perfect world this lends itself to 60 minutes of flying to the football like your hair is on fire. The lack of same has been the bane of this Sooner D in every other game. They fix that today.
The Picks
Offense
The burden is heavy on Lonnie but he has the best weapon for either team. For that reason I'm picking the weapon, Ryan Broyles. I really think they try a lot of different things to get him the ball and he lays waste to the texas D. Broyles is a Norman native, he's no longer wide-eyed and he knows probably better than anyone what this game means. I now have a chub.
Defense
Navin, you really had me on the edge of my seat. I was pretty confident we would arrive at the same conclusion. Of course it happened. Look, I don't need to go through all the options because Navin did that quite ably. Jeremy Beal is going to wreak havoc on Gilbert and the texas O-Line. Whoever has him (again, too lazy and indifferent to look up the names of any texas O-Linemen) will have his hands on his hips with shoulders sagging. No bullshit. Jeremy Beal is going to own.
The Conclusion
This isn't going to be 7-3 or 63-3. I don't see it as a defensive struggle either. The Sooner offense is better. When they want to, the Sooner D can be as good as anyone. I cannot believe they won't be jacked today. I like Sooners (obviously).
28-14
Boomer to the motherfuckin' Sooner
Nowadays I rarely go down to Dallas as I've come to realize I can get drunk in front of my or a friends television and sleep in my own bed afterwards all whilst spending about $500 less. Don't hate, we're in a recession. So that's what I'll be doing today. Hanging out with about 30 other die hard Sooner fans at TFrye's house (allegedly the new King of New York).
If you want proof that any asshole can have both a blog, an opinion and not a clue, I offer you this. I also know very little about texas. You know why? I hate them. I have better shit to do with my time than cruise the Interwebs for stats, facts and figures related to those assholes. Trust me, there's plenty of texas people out there who will all too eagerly tell you how awesome they are. In short I have nothing solid to base my feelings of this contest. I stand wobbily on Crimson Colored Glasses.
Here's the deal. The Sooner offense has just enough weapons that Lonnie won't have to take too many chances. In theory this should mean less opportunities for interceptions. Also, knocking on wood here, the Sooners haven't fumbled the ball yet. Everybody knock on wood again please. So, even against a stout defense, I like our chances. Look for lots of short to intermediate throws from Lonnie. Look for lots of throws to the Trey Millards and Trent Ratteree's of the offense and especially look for creative ways to get the ball to Ryan Broyles so he can get the ball in open space. He'll expose the texas D for the terrible tacklers they are (based on no basis of fact, but I'm sure of it because they are texas and they fellate one another at practice).
What are the Sooners going to do on defense? I'm glad I asked. I think they do everything possible to make Garrett Gilbert beat them. I can't remember a texas Quarterback who struck less fear in the hearts of Sooner Nation. This is telling when you consider the storied history of effeminate texas quarterbacks. All day long it's base Nickel packages, stuffing the run and making Gilbert make plays. I think the Sooners get two, maybe three INT's.
Also, I'm truly going to be disappointed with anything less than Florida State type intensity out of the D. Really, it should easily exceed it. In a perfect world this lends itself to 60 minutes of flying to the football like your hair is on fire. The lack of same has been the bane of this Sooner D in every other game. They fix that today.
The Picks
Offense
The burden is heavy on Lonnie but he has the best weapon for either team. For that reason I'm picking the weapon, Ryan Broyles. I really think they try a lot of different things to get him the ball and he lays waste to the texas D. Broyles is a Norman native, he's no longer wide-eyed and he knows probably better than anyone what this game means. I now have a chub.
Defense
Navin, you really had me on the edge of my seat. I was pretty confident we would arrive at the same conclusion. Of course it happened. Look, I don't need to go through all the options because Navin did that quite ably. Jeremy Beal is going to wreak havoc on Gilbert and the texas O-Line. Whoever has him (again, too lazy and indifferent to look up the names of any texas O-Linemen) will have his hands on his hips with shoulders sagging. No bullshit. Jeremy Beal is going to own.
The Conclusion
This isn't going to be 7-3 or 63-3. I don't see it as a defensive struggle either. The Sooner offense is better. When they want to, the Sooner D can be as good as anyone. I cannot believe they won't be jacked today. I like Sooners (obviously).
28-14
Boomer to the motherfuckin' Sooner
OU-Texas
Well, if you're reading this blog then you not only write half of it, but you know this is a huge game today. For the first time this season I'm not wearing down a good drunk from the night before, so let's see if the quality changes for better or worse. Every year this one is amazing. Well, for the last decade + or so anyway. My first OU-Texas was in 1996, we were mired in the John Blake era and were basically not even a shell of our former greatness. Texas was ranked high, and we hadn't won a game yet. When James Allen plunged across the goal line tallying the go ahead and clinching score (give Blake this much credit, he only beat two teams that year OSU and Texas, I'm just saying if you had to pick two...), I basically went as apeshit as you might expect a drunk 18 year old to. Anyway, my point with that little jaunt down mammary lane is that it doesn't really matter that Texas has looked weaker than usual (it isn't as if we've been dominant either), this game will be extremely tough. I know Stewart Mandel (read: total fuckface and person I'd be most likely to take an unprovoked assault charge over) thinks this one will be similar to last season's 16-13 defensive struggle, but I kind of feel the opposite for no real reason other than I hate his guts. I think Texas has a really good defense and a really bad offense. I think we have above average (but not dominant) of both. How that matches up I'm not really sure, but I think like most years it will be each team just trying answer the other. The fact that I'm sure we'll give up some big ones, makes me think (hope) that we answer with some big ones. In that vein, I think we'll each score some points here and, as fans, we'll endure some sloppy periods as well.
I've only personally seen Garrett Gilbert play a portion of one football game, the national championship of last season. He looked overmatched, and at times like he wanted to cry. Sadly, he held back the tears. While I'll certainly miss the images of Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley wrestling shirtless with short cut-offs in a meadow with biceps glistening eventually collapsing into a sweaty, spent heap (editors note: this may or may not have actually happened), I've been pretty encouraged by Gilbert era so far. He managed to not throw any picks against Rice and Wyoming, but threw three against Tech and one against UCLA, leaving him with 4 TD's and 4 picks on the season. I'm hoping that we add to the latter column today. Additionally, he's been somewhat proned to the sack. In (very) limited time last year, he was sacked twice, and this year he's been sacked five times. I'm not sure if that speaks more to the O-line or the fact that he can't make a decision. Probably some of both, but given that they don't run the ball extremely well I'm hoping we can dominate the front today, at least on defense.
I know in past seasons we've had some slow starts defensively (not this slow mind you) and things have rounded into form when conference play starts, I'm hoping for that same pattern this year. I don't know for a fact (and am waaay to lazy to actually look) that we've ever been ranked so low defensively, but it certainly doesn't feel like it, and I don't know that it bodes well. For all of our struggles and inconsistency from Lonnie, the defense worries me far more. We've put up plenty of points to win every week, obviously, but have given up way too many (and at bad times) to be comfortable late in any game save one. Publicly it seems that the company line is everything is fine, when most definitely it is not fine. We've not been able to prevent anyone from running or passing the ball. Allowing teams to access their entire playbook doubles their capabilities (save yourself, I did the math) than if we could at least shut down the run. We absolutely have to fix one of the two, preferably both, today. On to the picks...
Offense
While Broyles and DeMarco have been amazing, as Mitch so aptly pointed out yesterday (by the way, an in-season position by position breakdown of our offense? Really? That's the kind of hard hitting journalism that will get you out of the blogosphere and into print. While I'm writing shit that my mom might hang on the fridge next to my hand-tracing/turkey painting, Mitch is actually writing material of value. In short, stop making me look bad. My self esteem is closer to the ground than Mack Brown's knees on a recruiting trip, skeet skeet), I think Texas has the talent on defense to take those two guys away from us on most downs. As a result, somebody else has to step up. While I love Stills and Madu, I think I'm heading back down the road to Lonnie this week. Texas absolutely wants, nee defies him to beat them. While he's been inconsistent at best, I think today he gets his shit together. I like Kevin Wilson & Co., to get him rolling early with short slants, screens and dumps out of the backfield to get him in a groove like we saw in the FSU game. Lonnie seems to really have a confidence issue (read: not what you want in a QB), but when it's up he can really play well. I like for him to roll early and hit some guys not named Broyles
Defense
Though Mitch and I haven't actually discussed this yet, I have a gut feeling that we are going to pick the same guy here. After reading his column yesterday, I think we're on a similar page. I've had my defensive pick all week and with game day upon us, my mind is steadfast. The secondary has been up and down, and while it has shown glimpses we just haven't had enough glimpses for me to pick someone from that position set. I know Travis "Old Steady" (it's official now) Lewis will have his typical game, 10-12 tackles no flash, although he's played in enough of these now I briefly gave him consideration for this award in that I think he'll be pumped up. No, I think our player of the game will come from the front. Stacy McGee showed enough last week that I'm fired up about him now, but he's still inconsistent. Frank Alexander, one of my favorite players for whatever reason, will be everywhere today...but still doesn't do quite enough to make me pet his naughty bits. In this one I like Jeremy Beal. Beal made some comments this week that lead me to believe he will be ready to put a foot in the collective ass of Texas. I think he and Gilbert will become acquainted to the chagrin of young Gilbert. I love Beal in this one for at least two sacks, and a slew of disruptions/tackles/hate fucks.
As I alluded to earlier, I think some points will be scored in this one. I also think Stoops is tired of the racket that we are now owned by Texas. Texas is on their heels a bit, but with something to prove. We've been struggling...and hearing about it ad nauseum. I like us to do enough in this one that we pull it out and go into the by-week unbeaten and firmly in the drivers seat for the conference. Final score today 37-33 in favor of the Sooners. Let's go out and get these miserable fucks.
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner
I've only personally seen Garrett Gilbert play a portion of one football game, the national championship of last season. He looked overmatched, and at times like he wanted to cry. Sadly, he held back the tears. While I'll certainly miss the images of Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley wrestling shirtless with short cut-offs in a meadow with biceps glistening eventually collapsing into a sweaty, spent heap (editors note: this may or may not have actually happened), I've been pretty encouraged by Gilbert era so far. He managed to not throw any picks against Rice and Wyoming, but threw three against Tech and one against UCLA, leaving him with 4 TD's and 4 picks on the season. I'm hoping that we add to the latter column today. Additionally, he's been somewhat proned to the sack. In (very) limited time last year, he was sacked twice, and this year he's been sacked five times. I'm not sure if that speaks more to the O-line or the fact that he can't make a decision. Probably some of both, but given that they don't run the ball extremely well I'm hoping we can dominate the front today, at least on defense.
I know in past seasons we've had some slow starts defensively (not this slow mind you) and things have rounded into form when conference play starts, I'm hoping for that same pattern this year. I don't know for a fact (and am waaay to lazy to actually look) that we've ever been ranked so low defensively, but it certainly doesn't feel like it, and I don't know that it bodes well. For all of our struggles and inconsistency from Lonnie, the defense worries me far more. We've put up plenty of points to win every week, obviously, but have given up way too many (and at bad times) to be comfortable late in any game save one. Publicly it seems that the company line is everything is fine, when most definitely it is not fine. We've not been able to prevent anyone from running or passing the ball. Allowing teams to access their entire playbook doubles their capabilities (save yourself, I did the math) than if we could at least shut down the run. We absolutely have to fix one of the two, preferably both, today. On to the picks...
Offense
While Broyles and DeMarco have been amazing, as Mitch so aptly pointed out yesterday (by the way, an in-season position by position breakdown of our offense? Really? That's the kind of hard hitting journalism that will get you out of the blogosphere and into print. While I'm writing shit that my mom might hang on the fridge next to my hand-tracing/turkey painting, Mitch is actually writing material of value. In short, stop making me look bad. My self esteem is closer to the ground than Mack Brown's knees on a recruiting trip, skeet skeet), I think Texas has the talent on defense to take those two guys away from us on most downs. As a result, somebody else has to step up. While I love Stills and Madu, I think I'm heading back down the road to Lonnie this week. Texas absolutely wants, nee defies him to beat them. While he's been inconsistent at best, I think today he gets his shit together. I like Kevin Wilson & Co., to get him rolling early with short slants, screens and dumps out of the backfield to get him in a groove like we saw in the FSU game. Lonnie seems to really have a confidence issue (read: not what you want in a QB), but when it's up he can really play well. I like for him to roll early and hit some guys not named Broyles
Defense
Though Mitch and I haven't actually discussed this yet, I have a gut feeling that we are going to pick the same guy here. After reading his column yesterday, I think we're on a similar page. I've had my defensive pick all week and with game day upon us, my mind is steadfast. The secondary has been up and down, and while it has shown glimpses we just haven't had enough glimpses for me to pick someone from that position set. I know Travis "Old Steady" (it's official now) Lewis will have his typical game, 10-12 tackles no flash, although he's played in enough of these now I briefly gave him consideration for this award in that I think he'll be pumped up. No, I think our player of the game will come from the front. Stacy McGee showed enough last week that I'm fired up about him now, but he's still inconsistent. Frank Alexander, one of my favorite players for whatever reason, will be everywhere today...but still doesn't do quite enough to make me pet his naughty bits. In this one I like Jeremy Beal. Beal made some comments this week that lead me to believe he will be ready to put a foot in the collective ass of Texas. I think he and Gilbert will become acquainted to the chagrin of young Gilbert. I love Beal in this one for at least two sacks, and a slew of disruptions/tackles/hate fucks.
As I alluded to earlier, I think some points will be scored in this one. I also think Stoops is tired of the racket that we are now owned by Texas. Texas is on their heels a bit, but with something to prove. We've been struggling...and hearing about it ad nauseum. I like us to do enough in this one that we pull it out and go into the by-week unbeaten and firmly in the drivers seat for the conference. Final score today 37-33 in favor of the Sooners. Let's go out and get these miserable fucks.
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner
Friday, October 1, 2010
Pre-texas Thoughts
I'm trying to come up with this week's Players of the Game. In the biggest games it stands to reason a team's best players should prove it. This got me to wondering, "Who is the best player on this Sooner Defense?"
For the Sooner Offense, it's a debate between two players. DeMarco or Ryan Broyles. DeMarco because he can line up anywhere, be a legit big-target receiver or, just as easily, he can put his hat down and power for 3 or 4 yards when you need it. He is the bell-cow of the offense and make no mistake. Broyles is by far the most electric home-run threat. I don't think many people could get a hand on him in flag football. His moves are filthy in a Two Girls, One Cup kind of way. Both contribute on special teams also. So, taking the easy way out, I'll say DeMarco is the MVP and Broyles is the best player.
It's impossible to identify the Alpha Male on Defense. Through 4 games it's tough to identify the best player in each unit (Line, Linebacker and Secondary). In the ultimate team sport this is probably a good thing. On defense in particular this could be a great thing but only if the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. I'm not sure that's what we have here.
Let's break it down by group:
Defensive Line
Probably the easiest group to dissect. Jeremy Beal was on the short list for 2010 MF'er and he's showing that the consideration was well deserved. But at any given time guys like Stacy McGee and David King have really stepped up. McGee's continual improvement is going to be critical the rest of the way. Real talk.
Linebackers
Since Ronnell has been moved to DE and hasn't been on the field much anyways this is a two-man race twixt Tom Wort and Travis "Old Steady" Lewis. And in my mind I would say Tom Wort is the guy who jumps out on tape. But, I'm a mouth-breathing clod with a high BAC (*See chart below) when I'm watching the games so it was easy for me to overlook Old Steady. Quietly he's leading the team in tackles and has an INT to boot. Stats aren't everything but it certainly indicates Old Steady is doing his job, "In a great way" as Coach Stoops would say.
Secondary
This group is the biggest clusterfuck but in a good way. Obviously Quinton M.F. Carter has been doing his thing. But Tony Jefferson is a badass. Navin's right that he is on the 2011 M.F. watchlist. And I'll tell you who else is coming on is that Jonathan Nelson. Against Utah State he really tried to make his case to become 2010's Gasrag McGee. But since he's become a bit of a force. Jamell Fleming is the guy teams really like to pick on but he has 6 pass break ups and for the most part is playing pretty well. With a gun to my head I'd say Jefferson (Reminder: True Frosh) is the best but I'd certainly listen to arguments.
I think I know who I'll take for Defensive POG but I'll reveal that later.
*I looked up this chart and got a real good laugh. I'd say I watch most games in the .11 to .20 range.
.11 to .20 Behaviors
For the Sooner Offense, it's a debate between two players. DeMarco or Ryan Broyles. DeMarco because he can line up anywhere, be a legit big-target receiver or, just as easily, he can put his hat down and power for 3 or 4 yards when you need it. He is the bell-cow of the offense and make no mistake. Broyles is by far the most electric home-run threat. I don't think many people could get a hand on him in flag football. His moves are filthy in a Two Girls, One Cup kind of way. Both contribute on special teams also. So, taking the easy way out, I'll say DeMarco is the MVP and Broyles is the best player.
It's impossible to identify the Alpha Male on Defense. Through 4 games it's tough to identify the best player in each unit (Line, Linebacker and Secondary). In the ultimate team sport this is probably a good thing. On defense in particular this could be a great thing but only if the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. I'm not sure that's what we have here.
Let's break it down by group:
Defensive Line
Probably the easiest group to dissect. Jeremy Beal was on the short list for 2010 MF'er and he's showing that the consideration was well deserved. But at any given time guys like Stacy McGee and David King have really stepped up. McGee's continual improvement is going to be critical the rest of the way. Real talk.
Linebackers
Since Ronnell has been moved to DE and hasn't been on the field much anyways this is a two-man race twixt Tom Wort and Travis "Old Steady" Lewis. And in my mind I would say Tom Wort is the guy who jumps out on tape. But, I'm a mouth-breathing clod with a high BAC (*See chart below) when I'm watching the games so it was easy for me to overlook Old Steady. Quietly he's leading the team in tackles and has an INT to boot. Stats aren't everything but it certainly indicates Old Steady is doing his job, "In a great way" as Coach Stoops would say.
Secondary
This group is the biggest clusterfuck but in a good way. Obviously Quinton M.F. Carter has been doing his thing. But Tony Jefferson is a badass. Navin's right that he is on the 2011 M.F. watchlist. And I'll tell you who else is coming on is that Jonathan Nelson. Against Utah State he really tried to make his case to become 2010's Gasrag McGee. But since he's become a bit of a force. Jamell Fleming is the guy teams really like to pick on but he has 6 pass break ups and for the most part is playing pretty well. With a gun to my head I'd say Jefferson (Reminder: True Frosh) is the best but I'd certainly listen to arguments.
I think I know who I'll take for Defensive POG but I'll reveal that later.
*I looked up this chart and got a real good laugh. I'd say I watch most games in the .11 to .20 range.
.11 to .20 Behaviors
- Over-expression
- Emotional swings
- Angriness or sadness
- Boisterousness
- SuperHuman Feeling
- Decreased Libido
- Reflexes
- Reaction time
- Gross motor control
- Staggering
- Slurred speech
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